Clicking noise on left side

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I have a Core2Duo 2.2Ghz MBP. 6 months ago, a little click started coming from near the HD. I thought, great my HD is going to die. I did A LOT of research, and somehow the clicking stopped.

2 months ago I wanted more space for a bootcamp install as well. Bought a 320gig and had it installed by an Apple Service Tech so as not to void the warranty. 2 weeks ago, the clicking started again.

I tried hdapm, I tried declunk. It is a random click, some days I won't hear it. Usually only happens when I am doing very little, maybe firefox, sometimes while watching a dvd or itunes. Usually NEVER when I am playing a game.
Also, this is what is wierd, NEVER happens in XP. So that leads me to thinking it is a problem in OS X. Since hdapm and declunk don't work, anyone else have ANY ideas?

(I would take it in to Apple, I have AppleCare, except a little while ago I slipped on some ice and my mbp hit the pavement, causing a little bit of denting. I know it didn't cause the clicking because the clicking happened well before that happened with a different HD, and this time it happened well after that. I just don't want them to claim the fall did it.)
 
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if you replaced the HD in Apple service... don't worry about it ...!

just back up ur data from now and then... incase if something bad happens to the HD
 
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Ok, I have been doing some closer monitoring of the HD. I had it sitting completely idle on my desk, not a single app running, just had my mouse over iStats in the menu bar to see HD activity.

Every time it clicked, the HD went from no activity to a spike in read and write.

Anyway to stop this random read and write?
 
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It just sounds the OS is doing random house keeping while you're sitting idle. There's not really any way to stop it from doing that, AFAIK. It's a good thing, in fact.
 
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is it just the regular sound a disk makes when you write/read on it?? you know the kind of a purr ... because as Willem said, that is completely normal :)
 

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I think the noise you're hearing is the heads parking, which laptop hard drives are known to do when the disk isn't being used. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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one more thing, with the MBP you will hear a sound from the disk if u move it around, it has a protection system when you shake the computer, it parks the heads to prevent damage to the drive and that does make a sound as cwa107 mentioned
 
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Thank you for the many replies.

It is not the Sudden Motion Sensor. I disabled that for a little while to test it, and it still happened. It also happens when the laptop is sitting perfectly still for extended periods of time.

I also disabled disksleep for testing purposes. That did not change anything either.

It is not the purr of regular read/write. I am currently doing an entire surface scan of the hd, constant reading for the last hour or so, and haven't heard it once.

I believe it to be some form of parking the heads, it is just kind of annoying for it to park them some what randomly, but often, when either nothing is going on, or I'm watching a movie. Stupid click, still quite audible during a movie is getting on my nerves.
 
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So.... I sat for about 15min with my ear over the HD, and then 10min with my face in the middle of the left side edge, and the click is definitely not coming from the hd, it is coming from under the speaker area.


This is becoming too perplexing. In a few weeks I will be buying a Unibody and giving this clicking annoyance to my wife.
 

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So.... I sat for about 15min with my ear over the HD, and then 10min with my face in the middle of the left side edge, and the click is definitely not coming from the hd, it is coming from under the speaker area.


This is becoming too perplexing. In a few weeks I will be buying a Unibody and giving this clicking annoyance to my wife.

By any chance do you know what brand and model the HDD is? Might go away if you bought a different brand...

Yeah give it to her so it will drive her insane. :p
 
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Here's The Idea !!

If you're worried about your MBP why don't just visit or e-mail Apple Service and tell them the problem, maybe they have the right answers. :)
 
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I made an appointment for tomorrow at the Apple store. Hopefully something comes of it.
 
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UPDATE:

They ordered a left fan, left speaker, and the left I/O board. Said the clicking has to be one of those, so replacing all 3 should fix it. Parts should be in middle of the weak.

One weird thing, when they first scanned my serial number, it said it was registered in Virginia. They looked it up under my email and everything was fine, just kinda weird.
 
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lol nice, just order and replace everything u can think of :D thumbs up apple :D
 
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So after taking it in 3 different times, this last time the laptop being sent to an Apple Service Depot, the clicking is still prevalent.

They have replaced the left I/O board, the left fan twice, and the right fan once.

Going in for time number 4 this afternoon.

Getting kinda frustrated.
 

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So after taking it in 3 different times, this last time the laptop being sent to an Apple Service Depot, the clicking is still prevalent.

They have replaced the left I/O board, the left fan twice, and the right fan once.

Going in for time number 4 this afternoon.

Getting kinda frustrated.

Did they ever replace the hard drive?
 
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A while back, when the clicking first started, the HD was replaced by an AASP, because there was no Apple Store here. When you sit and listen, you can tell the clicking is not coming from the HD. I am not worried about the HD crashing, as I am that it is some electrical problem. It almost sounds like a popping.

The sound comes from up by the magsafe plug / esc key area.

I'll report back with what they decide to do this afternoon.

Thank goodness I have a custom built gaming rig for the annual Super Bowl LAN this weekend.
 
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A new inverter board and display has been ordered. They said if the clicking is still there after that, they will "explore other options other than repair."
 

cwa107


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A new inverter board and display has been ordered. They said if the clicking is still there after that, they will "explore other options other than repair."

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you :)
 
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i experience that too.

it is not a clicking sound by the laptop, just by an external speaker (i have 2 spkrs + 1 bass).

I notice that after a while, when there is no sound produced, a "clicking" happens.

I theorize that it is a way the laptop saves energy, disabling
some kind of connection to the external speakers, and makes a small
sound when that happens. Observe it, do something where there is
sound , then count the minutes after the last sound, i think
it is a set time.
 

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